Editing History of Turkmenistan (section)

== Soviet Union ==
On 27 October 1924, the Turkestan ASSR was dissolved. In accordance with the decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and the [[Turkmen_Soviet_Socialist_Republic|Turkmen SSR]], it became one of the [[republics of the Soviet Union]]. At this time the modern borders of Turkmenistan were formed. The Turkmen Government renamed [[Ashgabat]] into Poltoratsk after a local revolutionary, however the name "Ashgabat" was restored in 1927. In February 1925, the Turkmenistan Communist Party held its first Congress in Ashkhabad. From this period onward the city experienced rapid growth and industrialisation, although it was severely disrupted by the October [[1948 Ashgabat earthquake]]. With an estimated surface wave magnitude of 7.3, the earthquake killed 10,000–110,000. According to other local sources, two-thirds of a population of 176,000 inhabitants perished.

In the 1950s, the 1,375 kilometre long [[Karakum Canal |Qaraqum Canal]] was built. Draining the [[Amu Darya]] river, it enabled huge areas to be opened for cotton production. It also greatly diminished the inflow of water to the [[Aral Sea]], resulting in an ecological catastrophe.

Turkmenistan was not among the most economically developed Soviet republics, with a largely agrarian economy. This is despite exploration and exploitation of enormous oil and gas resources – discovery of 62 [[cubic foot|trillion cubic feet]] [[Dauletabad gas field]] in the 1960s became the largest [[Petroleum reservoir#Gas field|gas field]] find in the world outside Russia and Middle East.
[[File:RIAN archive 476785 Soviet Army soldiers return from Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|Soviet soldiers returning from [[Afghanistan]]. 20 October 1986, Kushka, Turkmenia.]]
===Perestroika and Glasnost===
{{Main|History of the Soviet Union (1982–1991)|Perestroika|Glasnost}}
===Priority over Soviet Union laws and negotiations on a new Treaty===
{{Main|Parade of sovereignties|War of Laws|New Union Treaty}}
=== Soviet coup attempt, the Transition Period and the end of the Soviet Union ===
{{Main|1991 Soviet coup attempt|Dissolution of the Soviet Union|Transition period and cessation of the existence of the Soviet Union|Succession, continuity and legacy of the Soviet Union}}